MORE than 30 Loughborough teenagers on a field trip to Iceland were rushed out of their log cabins in their pyjamas after a major volcanic eruption. The 34 school girls, aged between 14 to 16, from Loughborough High School were on a geography trip when they found themselves among hundreds of evacuees in Hvolsvollur in Iceland. It is believed that one fifth of the ice in the crater of the Eyjafjallajoekull volcano has melted – causing severe flooding and volcanic ash to rise into the atmosphere – grounding hundreds of flights today. The school girls were awoken at 4.30am on Tuesday morning and evacuated out of their log cabins – which were situated in the fallout zone of the volcano. Speaking to the Echo from Iceland, Jane Prescott, deputy head of the school and geography teacher, said: “They told us we had to leave immediately in our pyjamas and had to leave everything behind. “They told us the volcano was erupting with the ice and the flood waters were moving in our direction.” The group of frightened school girls were taken to a nearby primary school with farmers and other locals where they were offered blankets, warm drinks and food. The next day they were allowed to return to the log cabins to collect their belongings and are moving to the capital tonight. They expect to get a flight home tomorrow (Friday). “They have taken it very well. The school has been in touch with their parents. At first they found it quite scary but now they are really excited, especially the next day when they saw the flumes, steam and ash from the volcano.” All flights from East Midlands Airport have been grounded until at least 6pm today (Thursday).

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